Educators

About

This I Believe is an international organization engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. Over 125,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, have been archived here on our website, heard on public radio, chronicled through our books, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

Family

“Family” is a great concept, but in practice it doesn’t always work in the picture-perfect version we idealize. Many times, we find that families are defined by more than blood, culture, or circumstance. Click here to read how these essayists built their beliefs in family.

The Virtues of the Quiet Hero

As a Naval aviator, Congressman, and parent, John McCain was guided by a belief in honor, faith, and service. They are values he tried to model for his children and future generations of Americans. He died on August 25, 2018. Click here to read his essay.

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude

We know them. We depend on them. We call them out on cold, rainy nights. Now, college professor Sarah Adams tells us why her life philosophy is built around being cool to the pizza delivery dude. Click here to read her essay.

Do What You Love

Tony Hawk has turned what many consider a childhood activity into a professional career. Now for Hawk, skateboarding is not only a job, it’s a means of expression and a foundation for personal belief.Click here to read his essay.

I Am Still the Greatest

To be “The Greatest of All Time,” boxing legend Muhammad Ali said you have to believe in yourself. It’s something Ali’s parents taught him as a child, and it helped him through the biggest challenge of his life: fighting Parkinson’s disease. Click here to read his essay.

Always Go to the Funeral

As a child Deirdre Sullivan’s father told her to always pay her respects at funerals. Now, the Brooklyn attorney believes those simple acts of human kindness are as important as the grand heroic gestures. Click here to read her essay.

There is No God

As half of the magic act Penn and Teller, Penn Jillette enjoys challenging his audiences with the unconventional. In stating his personal credo, Jillette finds liberation in believing there is no God. Click here to read his essay.

Black is Beautiful

What’s in a name? For writer and teacher Sufiya Abdur-Rahman it’s key to her identity as the proud daughter of Muslim parents. Like the 1960s movement, Abdur-Rahman believes black is beautiful and not a condition she should have to rise above.Click here to read her essay.

An Ideal of Service to Our Fellow Man

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein found beauty in life’s mysteries, and says the fate of mankind depends on individuals choosing public service over private gain. Click here to read his essay.

Finding a Good Frog

Delia Motavalli has grown up watching movies about fairy tales and princesses. But after she received a piece of advice from her mother, Delia has come to realize her own definition of “happily ever after.” Click here to read her essay.

Being Content with Myself

Massachusetts teenager Kamaal Majeed believes being content with himself and defining his own life are more important than adhering to any racial stereotypes that his peers may try to force upon him.Click here to read his essay.

On August 28, 1963, Benita Porter went with her mother to attend the March on Washington. It was during Dr. King’s spellbinding message of hope, love, and the universality of mankind that Ms. Porter was inspired by the belief that words—her own words—could arouse passion, change minds, and bring about social change.

Recently Featured Essays

What Students Believe

Throughout the school year, young people around the world write statements of belief as a classroom exercise. And thousands of those students have submitted their essays to our series. Click here to read a sampling of what young people believe.

Life Lessons Learned from Strangers

As children, we’re taught to be wary of strangers. But random encounters with people we don’t know can lead to surprising insights about others and opportunities to learn more about ourselves. Click here to read this selection of essays about life lessons learned from strangers.

Saying Goodbye

Sometimes a goodbye is a casual comment to a colleague we’ll see tomorrow. Other times we say farewell to a loved one we’ll never see again. The moments of transition that we mark with a see you soon, a goodbye, or a farewell can leave a lasting impression on a person. Click here to read how these essayists have been inspired by saying goodbye.

The Immigrant Experience

In the heated debates over political policy, it’s easy to forget that America is largely a nation of immigrants. For those who came to this country from distant lands generations ago, to the recently naturalized citizen, the American dream is a powerful draw for people around the world. Click here to learn the beliefs that immigration has inspired in these essayists.

Essays from China

Just like in the United States, teachers in China have asked their students to write This I Believe essays. The hopes and passions of these students are evident, even as they write in a second language. Click here to learn what these Chinese students believe.

Taking Inspiration from Dr. King

Each year, the U.S. marks the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his birthday. We offer a sampling of statements from essayists who were influenced by King’s work and words — both by people who witnessed his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, to those who were simply inspired by it. Click here to read how these essayists were moved by Dr. King.

Tolerance and Acceptance

The French writer Voltaire called tolerance a “consequence of humanity” and the first law of nature. Yet some of us practice it more successfully than others. Click here to read how these essayists seek to exercise true tolerance and acceptance in their lives.

Quinceañera

The celebration of quinceañera is a tradition among people of Latin American heritage that marks a 15-year-old girl’s transition from childhood to womanhood. The festivities can include a religious ceremony, elaborate gowns and tuxedoes, a lavish party, and a special dance of the quinceañera and her court. Such a major turning-point in a young girl’s life can evoke a range of emotions and inspire a number of beliefs. Click here to read what these essayists feel about this important rite of passage.

A Walk in the Woods

As fall is around the corner with cooler days and turning leaves, it’s a perfect time for a hike among the trees. Whether for pleasure, exercise, or solitude, a walk in the woods can also inspire belief. Click here to learn what our essayists discovered out in nature.

Happy With What I Have

What makes you happy? Is it the attainment of the latest gadgets or a new, bigger car? How about getting a raise at work or winning the lottery? Does money really make us happy? Click here to read how these essayists feel about finding happiness with what they have.

Kindness

It's amazing the effect that one simple act of kindness can have both on the giver and the receiver. Greeting a stranger with "hello" or letting a fellow driver merge ahead of you may not change the world, but it can make living in that particular moment more pleasant. Click here to read some meditations on kindness.